With his thick gray beard, plaited hair and an arsenal of medieval weapons, Bosnia’s “first Viking” relaxes by hurling axes within the attic of his stone cottage.
Over the previous 5 years, Stipe Pleic has undergone a gentle transformation from builder to Nordic warrior in homage to the favored tv show Vikings.
The metamorphosis started after Pleic returned house to Tomislavgrad in southern Bosnia after years engaged on development websites in Germany.
What began as binge watching developed into an obsession with the show’s protagonist Ragnar Lothbrok and the lives of the Nordic warriors, who launched raids throughout massive swathes of Europe between the eighth and eleventh centuries.
“I had plenty of free time as a result of I dwell alone right here. And then once I was watching the collection I noticed Ragnar’s axe, I appreciated it and needed to do the identical,” says the 57-year-old, who additionally works as a driver for the regional authorities.
Following in Ragnar’s footsteps, he started making weapons by hand, decking the partitions of his cottage with swords and shields, and dressing the half.
Wearing a tunic and matching trousers, the towering Pleic might simply cross for one of many show’s important characters.
His workshop now resembles a film set, full with an axe-studded throne and fox fur armrests.
According to Stipe Pleic, in his workshop, he finds slightly peace and escape from harsh actuality of life in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Blood-red shields coupled with Swedish and Norwegian flags dangle alongside huge posters of collection stars Travis Fimmel and Katheryn Winnick.
And in his backyard, he has constructed a duplicate of a drakkar – a flat-bottomed boat able to crossing oceans – which he often sails on a close-by lake.
“My life has turned 180 levels. My targets are totally different,” Pleic says of his dramatic transformation, citing the concord that comes with the Viking lifestyle.
He has even taken on a brand new persona – Ragnar Kavurson – a reference to each the identify of his hometown in the course of the Ottoman period and the phrase for “miscreant”.
Over the years, he has made a whole bunch of axes, spears, bows, shields and just about anything he spots on the TV show. Some tasks take weeks of meticulous work to complete.
Most of his hand-crafted axes have been provided to mates or offered, with some items fetching as much as €300 (RM1,400).
“I put a little bit of myself into every of those,” Pleic explains, including he additionally practices throwing axes day-after-day, alone or with mates.”It can be a self-discipline that’s advisable by psychiatrists. It’s very enjoyable,” he says.
In the longer term, he hopes to share his obsession with others by organising the primary Bosnian axe-throwing championship and constructing a whole Viking village for vacationers.
“I used to earn more cash per day in Germany than I do now monthly,” he says. “But I wasn’t blissful. Now I’m blissful.” – AFP Relaxnews
